Sunday 24 October 2010

How to Assemble a Reenacting Musket Cleaning Kit

How to Assemble a Reenacting Musket Cleaning Kit

A complete cleaning kit is absolutely essential
for a Civil War reenactor. In it you should have
everything to clean and maintain your reenacting
musket. From the outset, it's important to be
sure that everything is the correct caliber for
your musket, and it's also a good idea to buy
many of the tools in multiples. This article sets
out how to assemble your own reenacting musket
cleaning kit.

!! Steps !!

Caliber marking on an 1861 Springfield.Determine the caliber of
your musket. Usually, the caliber can be found imprinted on the
barrel, somewhere near the rear sight:

* .58 caliber for 1861, 1863 and 1855 Springfield's, 1853 and 1858
Enfield's, CS Richmond, and most other muskets.

* .69 caliber for 1855 Springfield's.
.54 caliber for Sharps.

!! Cleaning Tools !!

* A four-piece cleaning rod.*Cleaning rod:* Check to see that
the rod reaches all the way down the barrel, as well as having
threads compatible with the attachments.

* A female-to-female adapter.*Thread adapter:* Add any necessary
adapters. A female to female adapter with the same threads as the
rod is usually needed.

* A brass bore cleaning brush.*Brass bore cleaning brush:* Be
sure to purchase at least three brushes, because they wear out
quickly.

* Fouling scraper.*Fouling scraper:* For reenactors notorious
for burning large amounts of powder, a fouling scraper is a
must-have. It also prolongs the life of your bore brush.

* Worm.*Worm:* Designed to retrieve lost patches from the bore,
a worm is also a lifesaver if anything else happens to drop into
or get stuck in the barrel of your musket.

* Eyelet cleaning jag.*Eyelet style cleaning jag:* This style of
cleaning jag is less likely to get stuck down the barrel than the
button style cleaning jag, although it may take longer to clean
the bore of the musket. It doubles as a swab when used with a
clean, dry patch.

* Musket Cleaning Patches.*Cotton cleaning patches:* These are
used to clean the bore. Dip them in cleaning solvent or oil, then
fold and slip them halfway through the eyelet-style cleaning jag.

* Steel, brass, and plastic brushes.*Steel, brass, and plastic
cleaning brushes:* Use these for general cleaning of the exterior
of your musket. Use only the plastic bristled brush for the stock,
as the others will remove the wood stain. The steel or brass brush
can be used to help remove rust from the lock and barrel.

* Small open end wrench (left), and T-handle nipple wrench
(right).*Nipple wrench:* Use this to remove the nipple on the
musket. Be certain to purchase one designated for a musket size
nipple, or use a small open end wrench.

* Pipe cleaners designed for cleaning guns.*Pipe cleaners:*
These are used to clean the inside of the musket nipple. Pipe
cleaners designed for crafts have the tendency of leaving their
lint inside the nipple, so be sure to use some made specifically
for cleaning musket nipples or pipes.
Cotton rag.*Cotton rag:* Needed for wiping off dirt and dust, as
well as drying your musket.

!! Solvents And Oils !!

* Black powder bore cleaning solvent.*Bore cleaning solvent:* A
bore cleaning solvent will help break-down black-powder residue
left in your musket barrel. Many reenactors prefer to use regular
dish-soap, as it usually works just as well as commercial solvent
and is far cheaper.
A bottle of gun oil.*Oil:* A bottle of gun oil is necessary for a
gun cleaning kit. Applying a thin layer after cleaning will keep
everything working smoothly and help prevent rust.

!! Organization !!

* Place the small attachments in a plastic bag.Place all of the
small cleaning attachments into a re-closing sandwich bag so they
won't get lost.
It won't look like this for long!Deposit the tools into a
toolbox or tackle-box, preferably one with a tray organizer.

!! Tips !!

* Toss an extra nipple and clean-out screw (Springfield rifles only)
into the kit, as losing either of these could be a big
inconvenience.

!! Related WikiHows !!

* How to Clean a Gun Without Buying a Cleaning Kit

* How to Roll Paper Cartridges (Reenacting)

* How to Install a Sling on a Civil War Musket (Reenacting)

* How to Make Hardtack

!! Article Tools !!

* Read on wikiHow

*

1 comments:

Btibrands said...

Thank for proving on this very nice and useful tips with us i'm sure it work best for me. Wheeler Engineering

Post a Comment